AIC Code of Ethics revision

The proposed AIC Code of Ethics makes the same mistake most of the codes
of related professional associations make -- there is absolutely no
provision for enforcement.  The AIC Code notes that adherence is a
matter of "personal responsibility," and includes one statement that
allegations of misconduct should be made in writing to the AIC
President. What does that mean?  Does the AIC have a mechanism for
dealing with such allegations?  Once again we have another Code of
Ethics useful for little else other than filing away, or at least so it
appears.  Why have a Code if there is no effective means to use it?  Is
it to make the conservation/preservation community feel good about
itself, that it somehow constitutes a profession because it possesses a
code?

Richard J. Cox
Assistant Professor
Editor, American Archivist
School of Library and Information Science
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
412-624-3245 (work)
Fax: 412-648-7001

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                   Conservation DistList Instance 7:5
                  Distributed: Saturday, June 19, 1993
                        Message Id: cdl-7-5-002
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